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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29851140">kiss me hard before you go (summertime sadness)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fowlbyname45/pseuds/fowlbyname45'>fowlbyname45</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Mandalorian (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(some liberties taken with said Mandalorian culture), (young as in like 22), Cliche, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Mandalorian Culture (Star Wars), No use of y/n, One Shot, POV Second Person, Reader-Insert, SO MUCH FLUFF, Summer Romance, Young Din Djarin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:33:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,947</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29851140</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fowlbyname45/pseuds/fowlbyname45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>You fall in love with a soon-to-be-Mandalorian the summer before he swears his Creed.</p><p>[Inspired by Breakable Heaven by dindjarindiaries &amp; Daisy Chains by oloreaa on Tumblr.]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Din Djarin/Reader, Din Djarin/You</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>kiss me hard before you go (summertime sadness)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>"Kiss me hard before you go<br/>Summertime sadness<br/>I just wanted you to know<br/>That baby, you the best."<br/>-Summertime Sadness, Lana Del Rey</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You began taking fruit out of their boxes to set up your stand for the morning, trying to repress a yawn at the early time and boring work as you felt the July sun beat down on your back. You worked at a market, specifically at the fruit stand there, but you couldn’t help feeling like you were meant for somehow greater things. Your parents had worked at this market for years, however, and now expected you to do the same - no matter what you really wanted. It was tedious work at times, but you made the best of it. </p><p>Customers began coming through the many stalls, looking for food, jewelry, or even (your favorite) flowers. You began serving the ones who wanted some of your seasonal fruit, putting on your customer service voice and a smile.</p><p>Your friend Louisa came up to your stand for her weekly supply of produce, just as she did every Monday morning.</p><p>“Hey, how’s it going today?” she asked, giving you a grin before looking through the selection of what she could buy today.</p><p>“Oh, you know, just the usual,” you replied, grinning back. “Care for some peaches? Or maybe some blackberries? Summer is a great season for fruit you know.”</p><p>Louisa nodded. “Sure is,” she said, picking out some strawberries, apricots, and peaches. “I don’t know what I’d do without your stall, especially this time of the year.” </p><p>You rang up her purchases and bagged them before the woman took the fruit and waved goodbye. “See ya next week,” she said over her shoulder. “Thanks, as always!”</p><p>You gave her a smile and a mock salute before going back to your job, waiting for the next customer in line to decide what they wanted. This person seemed to be taking a while though, so, as per usual, your eyes wandered to the people milling throughout the market.</p><p>Your gaze happened to fall on a man about your age buying some vegetables from another produce stand nearby. He was tall, with broad shoulders, a mop of dark curls on his head, and a bit of scruff on his face. But what struck you the most were his eyes - even from your small distance, you could tell they were a deep brown, and (though this might have just been your imagination) sparking a little in the bright sunlight.</p><p>You bit your lip. <em> He was definitely handsome. </em></p><p>He finished up at the stand he was at and moved on to another one in the opposite direction, but you couldn’t help watching him go. Just then, you realized the customer you were supposed to be serving was ready to be rung up. </p><p>“Hey lady!” the man, probably somewhere in his late thirties, said in a rude tone. “I’m done over here, if you don’t mind.”</p><p>Your attention immediately snapped back to what you were supposed to be focusing on. “Oh, yes, of course! Sorry sir, I’ll take care of that.” You finished with him, and moved on to the next shopper, and the next one, and the next one, until it was lunch break. But throughout the rest of your shift, you couldn’t help but look for the handsome stranger you had seen, and feel your face grow a little bit warmer than usual whenever he was close to your stall.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>You never expected anything to come out of the crush. In fact, you easily accepted that it would be just that - a fleeting crush that you would think about at night and when you were bored at work. For the next few weeks or so, you’d observe him when he was there shopping, which was about twice every seven days. A couple of times (although this could’ve been wishful thinking) you even thought you saw him glance back at you too. It was nice, and fun, and you slowly began thinking about the mysterious stranger more and more. </p><p>It was a Tuesday in the early afternoon when you saw him at the flower stall, talking to the woman who runned it; for some reason, he seemed strangely anxious today. He eventually bought a flower with vibrant red blooms and a medium length stem, clutching it in his hands a bit nervously. You looked away then, reminding yourself that you needed to be working.</p><p>A few moments later, you looked up to see him in line at your stall of all places. This was a bit odd, as he had never come this way before, but you simply resolved to serve him just like you would anyone else. <em> Just act natural </em>, you told yourself.</p><p>You kept going with the patrons in front of him, ringing up and bagging their fruit and even smiling at some when you were feeling particularly generous. When it got to be the mystery man’s turn, he was still the last in line. It made sense; the end of the shift was coming up soon.</p><p>He finally got to the stall, and gave you a small, slightly awkward smile. “Hi,” he said. </p><p>“Hi,” you replied, pretending to act busy but truly trying to ignore the racing of your heart.</p><p>“So, I...well, I got this flower for you. If you want it, that is. Or maybe you don’t like this particular kind? I should have asked before, but…”</p><p>You looked up at that. “You...you got me a flower?”</p><p>“Well, yeah,” the man replied, still looking a bit shy but chuckling good-naturedly. </p><p>“Why?”</p><p>You saw his face get a tinge of red to it at your words, which was quite endearing. “I guess I thought you were pretty. And wanted to get to know you, maybe?”</p><p>You couldn’t help laughing out loud at that, putting a hand on your chest. “Oh my God, that’s so sweet. I...wow, I’m flattered.”</p><p>“I’m glad,” he replied, holding out the plant to you, which you immediately took. “I hope you like it.”</p><p>“I really do,” you assured him happily. “I love flowers. And, before you ask, this kind is one of my favorites.”</p><p>He looked relieved at that, and gave you a smile that made your chest flutter. “Good.” With that, he headed back off again, going over to another stall, but you couldn’t help how happy the gesture made you feel. You certainly hoped you would meet him again someday.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>That day was to come closer than you expected, as for the next few days, you saw him around the market just as much, if not more, than before. You figured that he didn’t really <em> need </em> to be there as much as he was, but you couldn’t exactly complain. One particularly humid Wednesday, he approached your stall with a question in mind.</p><p>“Hey Flower Boy,” you greeted, smiling widely and wiping some sweat from your brow. Flower Boy was the nickname you had taken to calling him, since you didn’t know his actual name yet.</p><p>“Hey,” he replied.</p><p>“You okay?” you asked, noticing that it seemed like there was something on his mind that he wanted to say.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just wondering...well, would you maybe want to meet after your shift sometime? I know it’s sudden, and I probably should’ve waited longer to ask, I just thought maybe -”</p><p>You cut off his rambling with a grin and decided, “Of course I do. Meet me here around seven tomorrow. Business is almost always non-existent on Thursday evenings, and I have the late shift.”</p><p>You might as well get to know this handsome stranger since you were given the opportunity to. Why would you pass it up? He seemed genuinely nice - he bought you a flower for Maker’s sake - and no one could deny that he was good-looking.</p><p>You were taken out of your musings by the very person you were thinking of. “That sounds like it’ll work,” he said, looking at you as if you were the only person in the galaxy.</p><p>“I’ll see you then,” you agreed, charmed by his gaze. “But...one more thing.”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>“What should I call you? I can’t exactly keep calling you Flower Boy forever, after all.”</p><p>“My name’s Din. Din Djarin.” At that, Din stuck out his hand, which you grabbed in a handshake, trying your best to ignore how the contact made your palms feel like they were on fire, but in a strangely pleasant way.</p><p>“Nice to meet you, Din.”</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>The next day, you were working your shift at the fruit stand as usual. But there was anticipation fluttering around your stomach for the evening to come, something that you tried your best to not let distract you. Evidently, however, Louisa seemed to notice. She was there for some special jewelry, and came to your stand to chat just as she often did when she came to the market. </p><p>“What’s got you all worked up tonight?” she wondered, a teasing smile on her face. Then something dawned on her, and she gasped dramatically. “Oh! It must be a guy, right? Or a girl, I don’t judge -”</p><p>You looked down pointedly and attempted to busy yourself at her words, which was apparently evidence enough for Louisa.</p><p>“It is, isn’t it? Ooh, tell me all about it!” she said, clapping her hands together in glee.</p><p>“Not now,” you insisted. “He’s actually coming here in fifteen minutes, when my shift is over. I'll talk to you about it soon, okay?”</p><p>Louisa looked a little disappointed, but nodded nonetheless. “Okay, I understand. See you then,” she said, gathering her things and standing to leave as she offered you a smile. You gave her a quick hug and returned her smile before she left, feeling a little guilty but ultimately filled with excitement that you were going to see Din again soon.</p><p>When seven o’clock finally came and all the patrons were cleared out, you finished boxing up the unsold fruit and waited for him to arrive. At exactly five past, he came into the market, looking around at his surroundings as if they were foreign to him. When his eyes fell on you, you gave a small wave to show that you saw him too. Din approached your stall, still looking around a bit. “I’ve never been here in the evening, when it’s empty. I’m always here in the mornings, or sometimes afternoons. It looks different.”</p><p>You nodded. “Yeah, I know what you mean.” You cocked your head as a thought came to you. “Why are you here so often anyway? I’ve seen you around a lot.”</p><p>“I’m buying things for my mentor and the rest of the people in our tribe. Mostly food. They send out the trainees to do the shopping, usually,” he replied, leaning his frame against the stand. </p><p>“Mentor? Are you, like, training to be a Jedi or something?” you asked, realizing that you really knew next to nothing about this man.</p><p>He looked at you a little confusedly. “A Jedi? What do you mean?”</p><p>You let out a soft chuckle at that. “Never mind. So what are you training to be then, if not a Jedi?”</p><p>Din’s brown eyes lit up at that, which caused you to smile at his excitement. “I’m training to be a Mandalorian. I’ve been working towards it for a long time, and I’m gonna be one of the best they’ve ever had. I just know it.”</p><p>A Mandaloiran, huh? You knew that they had a very strict Creed, many sects not even allowing their members to remove their helmets in front of others once they swore it. Something dawned on you, and you grinned at Din slyly. “That’s a damn shame, then.”</p><p>“Why?” he asked, seemingly wondering where this was going. </p><p>“Well, a pretty face like that, never being seen by another living being? It really is too bad.”</p><p>Din shrugged good-naturedly at your words. “This is the Way,” he said, sounding like he had repeated the phrase half a million times. He sounded serious, but you could tell by the slightly crooked smile he gave you that he was flattered. </p><p>“So, when will you swear that Creed anyway?” you asked curiously, hiding a grin at his reaction.</p><p>“At the end of the summer,” he replied.</p><p>Your stomach sank a little. The end of the summer seemed so soon, and didn’t leave him much time before he’d have to be stuck with a Code and a long list of regulations to comply by. He was still so young...</p><p>“What about you? Something in me doubts that working at this market is really what you want to be doing,” Din continued, evidently trying to change the subject.</p><p>“How could you tell?” you joked, going along with it. “What I’d really like to be doing...well, I’ve always kind of wanted to be a teacher. There’s something about the little foundlings that I’m drawn too, you know?”</p><p>Din nodded. “That’s...very honorable. I hope you get to pursue that someday.”</p><p>“Thanks,” you replied. “Although, with my parents? It’s not exactly likely, I’m afraid.” You noticed that your new acquaintance looked away at the mention of your parents, and filed that away to unpack later.</p><p>“Well, either way, I’m glad you’re working at the market - right now at least,” he said. “Otherwise I probably wouldn’t have met you.”</p><p>You blushed at his sweet words, memorizing the moment so you could come back to it again whenever you wanted to. “That’s kind of you to say,” you commented. “I’m glad I met you too, Din.”</p><p>“Can I buy you a drink tomorrow?” Din suddenly blurted. “I know a good bar near here. If you want to come, that is...I’d just really like to see you again.”</p><p>You smiled. Of course you’d say yes, but there was no reason you couldn’t tease him a little first. “I’ll bet you say that to all the pretty girls.”</p><p>Din chuckled, and you enjoyed the way it sounded coming from him. “Nah, not to all of them. Just to you.”</p><p>The two of you talked over necessary details for a while, and you realized you were already looking forward to the next time you would see the stranger with the brown eyes.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>The next evening, you began making your way to the bar you and Din had been discussing the night before. It was a slightly run down place, and didn’t seem to be very busy despite it being a Friday. When you entered the establishment through its grimy double doors, your eyes immediately found who you were looking for. The person in question was sitting at a barstool, holding a glass of liquor that already had a few sips taken from it.</p><p>“Hey,” you said, approaching his spot at the bar and sitting down next to him.</p><p>“Oh, hey,” he replied, looking up at the sound of your voice. He held up his glass. “Feel free to order what you want. It’s on me tonight.”</p><p>“Thanks,” you said gratefully, grabbing the drinks menu and scanning through it. Once you decided what you wanted, you looked behind the bar for a bartender and saw a droid there.</p><p>“What can I get for you?” it asked in its robotic voice. </p><p>You ordered and the droid left to prepare your drink, but when you glanced over at Din you noticed he seemed much more tense than usual. “What’s up?” you asked, concerned. “Is something wrong?”</p><p>He shook his head, as if denying your questions and shaking himself out of a bad memory at the same time. “No, everything’s fine.”</p><p>But you could tell something was off, so you decided to say, “Look, Din, you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. But I can tell that you were triggered by something.”</p><p>Din sighed, putting his glass down on the table in front of him. “I...yeah, I was. I need to get over it, I know I do, it’s just...<em> droids </em>.”</p><p>You nodded slowly. “Bad experiences with them in the past?”</p><p>“Yeah. They...they killed my parents during the Clone Wars. I saw it happen right in front of me.”</p><p>You fought the urge to cover your mouth with your hand. That must’ve been why he reacted the way he did when you brought up your parents yesterday. You settled on a simple but heartfelt, “I’m so sorry for your loss.”</p><p>Din shrugged. “Thanks. I still miss them sometimes, but I wasn’t very old when it happened. Maybe about nine or ten. The Mandalorians took me in after, and I’ve been with them ever since.”</p><p>You nodded again. “I see. Well, I’m sure they would be very proud of you.”</p><p>“I sure hope so.”</p><p>At that, you grabbed his hand, which was no longer holding his drink, gently. He looked up at that, a look in his eyes that made you think he didn’t get this very often.</p><p>“You know what, Din?” you said. “<em> I’m </em> proud of you. I’m proud of how brave you are to train to be a Mandalorian, I’m proud of how you face your trauma head-on every day, and I really think they would be too.”</p><p>The man beside you looked at you then just as he had that first day in the market, as if you were the only person in the galaxy, and this time almost seemed a little choked up. “Thank you. That’s...very kind of you to say.”</p><p>“Of course,” you replied, flustered again by his intense gaze and giving his hand a quick squeeze before letting go. Just then, the droid came back with your drink.</p><p>“Here you go,” it said mechanically, handing you what you had ordered. </p><p>“Thanks,” you said, taking it. It nodded and shuffled away to wait on the next customer. </p><p>You started to pour your drink, watching the amber liquid flow into the see-through glass. “Can you hold your liquor, Djarin?” you asked, a playful glint in your eye. </p><p>“Sure I can - what kind of lightweight do you take me for?” Din said, playing along and pouring more of his own drink.</p><p>The two of you stayed there for the next several hours, drinking together (although you both insisted you wouldn’t get <em> completely </em> wasted, mostly so you could stay longer) and just talking. It was the most fun you’d had in a long time, and you couldn’t help it when your ever-so-slightly-tipsy self asked “So, is this a date or what?”</p><p>Din shrugged, taking another sip of his drink. “If you want it to be.”</p><p>“I do,” you replied immediately. He looked at you then, and grinned in that sort of crooked way that always made your heart speed up.</p><p>“Me too.”</p><p>Not long after, you had an idea. “We should go outside for some fresh air. There’s a field not far from here that I saw coming in. Who knows, maybe the stars are out tonight.”</p><p>Din nodded. “Whatever you say, <em> cyar’ika. </em>”</p><p>You didn’t know what <em> cyar’ika </em>meant, but you took it as an affirmative. Although you’d heard many languages used in your lifetime, however, you didn’t recognize that one, and filed it away to ask Din about later.</p><p>You and the man in question then made your way out of the bar, grabbing your coat as he stiffly paid the bartender droid from before. Once you were outside, you looked around, trying to spot the field you had seen on your way in. </p><p>“There it is!” you exclaimed when you saw it, pointing to a fairly large area of grass about five meters north of where you were. “I knew I had seen something.” Grabbing Din’s hand, you made your way towards your destination, excited to be out and about (especially with him).</p><p>When you arrived at the field, you lay down on the grass, looking up at the sky above you. Din did the same, glancing over at you once he had done so.</p><p>“Isn’t it beautiful?” you mused, motioning up to the dark expanse of stars and planets above you.</p><p>“Yeah, it is,” Din said, looking up as well, a slight smile in his voice.</p><p>After a pause, you spoke up again. “Can I ask you a question?”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>“Do you ever feel...well, feel like you’re meant for greater things? Like you’re meant to be doing something with your life that is so, <em> so </em> much better or more important than what someone else already has planned for you?” you asked, still looking skywards.</p><p>Din hesitated for a moment. “I suppose. I think I felt that way for a while, but now I’m just ready to swear the Creed and get it over with. Get on with the next chapter of my life. That’s...that’s the noble thing to do.”</p><p>“Yeah, but...what if it’s not?”</p><p>“Well, I guess I just have to hope that it is.”</p><p>“I’m sorry no one will get to see your face again once you’re sworn in. I mean, don’t you have friends? People that will miss seeing it?”</p><p>You felt rather than saw him shrug, feeling the movement of his shoulder against your own. “Some, but not very many. We all have to give up certain things once we get older, right? Mine just happens to be people seeing my face.”</p><p>You couldn’t help letting out a sad sigh. “Oh, Din. You’re so much stronger than I’ll ever be.”</p><p>“Don’t say that,” he replied immediately. “You’re very strong. It takes strength to help those people in the market all day, you know.”</p><p>“I guess so,” you conceded, chuckling softly. Just then, something else came to you, something that you had wanted to ask him about earlier. “I...I’m gonna ask you something, but you don’t have to answer it, okay?”</p><p>“Sure,” Din replied from beside you.</p><p>“What does <em> cyar’ika </em>mean?”</p><p>There was a long pause, which caused your mind to go into overdrive thinking about any boundaries you might have crossed through your question. Just as you were about to say something else, perhaps an apology, Din spoke up.</p><p>“It...well, it means darling or sweetheart in Mando’a, the language of the Mandalorians. I kind of hoped you wouldn’t notice me saying it.”</p><p>Your heart was suddenly beating a lot faster than before. <em> Darling or sweetheart? </em>“So, you know Mando’a, huh?”</p><p>“Yeah. Some, at least. Others in my tribe have been teaching me for a while now.”</p><p>An idea came to you. “Would you teach me some?”</p><p>Din chuckled. “I guess so. What do you want to know?”</p><p>You looked over at his countenance beside you, seeing the slope of his nose and the side of his mouth twitch up in amusement in the glow of the starlight.</p><p>“What’s the word for face?”</p><p>“That’s <em> troan </em>.”</p><p>“How about for...flower?”</p><p>“<em>Sarad </em>.”</p><p>The two of you went on like that until you were too tired to continue, basking in the company of each other and the pleasantly warm summer night. It was then that you suddenly realized that you had been falling for Din since you had met, and falling hard.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>The next Monday, you were working another morning shift in the market. It was even more boring work than usual, especially compared to how you had spent Friday night. Your friend Louisa stopped by for her weekly fruit supply just as she always did, but this time she was ready to hear all the juicy details about your developing relationship with a man who was still a mysterious stranger to her.</p><p>“So, what’s he like?” she asked excitedly. “I can barely handle not knowing. Is he handsome? Have I seen him around here? Do I know him?”</p><p>“Slow down,” you laughed. “He’s pretty great so far, yes, maybe, and probably not.”</p><p>“Ooh, how exciting!" Louisa said, beaming. She then looked over to her right, eyes lighting up with mischief. "Does that happen to be your mystery man over there?" your friend questioned, pointing over to a man at a nearby stall. It was Din, and he seemed to be coming towards you and Louisa. </p><p>"Hi," he said, smiling at you before glancing over at the other woman. "Oh, you must be her friend. I think I've seen you around here."</p><p>Louisa nodded, glancing over at you with a look that said, <em> You did good </em> - <em> he really </em> is <em> handsome. </em> "Yes, I'm Louisa. Nice to meet you…"</p><p>"Din. Din Djarin."</p><p>The two of them shook hands, and you were glad they seemed to be getting along well. </p><p>"So, where are you from, Din?" Louisa questioned.</p><p>"Well, I've been here for most of my life, actually. I'm training to be a Mandalorian."</p><p>"Oh, really? That's very brave of you."</p><p>"Thank you, I appreciate that."</p><p>"Of course." The woman then looked over at you once more, grinning slyly. "I'll leave you two alone. It was a pleasure to meet you, Din."</p><p>"Same to you."</p><p>With that, Louisa walked away to do more shopping at different stands, evidently to give you and Din some time alone.</p><p>"I've known her for a long time," you told the man across from you, fondly watching her go. "She's one of my closest friends, actually." </p><p>"Well, she seems nice."</p><p>"Yeah, she is." You then focused your attention more on Din, leaning over the stall and resting on your elbow. "So, do you have any plans today?" you asked, a mischievous smile on your face.</p><p>"I think I could fit you in," he replied, returning your smile. </p><p>"Meet me in that field we found on Friday in twenty minutes, after my shift?"</p><p>"Done."</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>Twenty five minutes later, you were back in the field from several days before, sitting beside Din on the grass. You were holding a flower in your hand; there were yellow and red blooms in the field that you hadn't noticed the first time you had come, and they were beautiful. Din was the first to speak. "So, tell me about your parents. They don't exactly seem like mother and father of the year from what I've heard, but I want to know more. If you want, that is."</p><p>You sighed, playing with the flower in between your fingers. "Well, they've always been...a little difficult to get along with, but they usually mean well. They've worked at the market, you know, the one I'm working at right now, for years and years, and now that they've retired early they expect me to do the same. I want to leave someday, maybe go to school for a teaching degree, but they haven't even considered the fact I might want to do something different with my life." You took a deep breath. "Sorry for unloading that all on you. It's just...been weighing on me a lot lately, I guess."</p><p>Din nodded. "It's alright. I hope that they can realize someday that you're meant for something more."</p><p>"Thank you, truly." You then looked up at him, ready to change the subject. "So, tell me about your mentor, or the rest of the Mandalorians in your tribe."</p><p>"The other Mandalorians? Well, they're definitely very brave. And they believe in what you would call...tough love, I suppose. They saved me all those years ago, and it's the least I can do to swear the Creed to show my thanks."</p><p>"That's...very noble of you. I don't think <em> I </em> could do that," you admitted. </p><p>"Like I said, it's the least I can do."</p><p>A few moments later, you stood up. "I think I'm gonna go pick some of those flowers over there," you said, motioning to some yellow blossoms a few feet away. "Do you want to come?"</p><p>Din shrugged, smiling a little. "I think I'd rather just watch you."</p><p>You flushed at the fact he wanted to observe you, even doing a mundane thing such as picking a few flowers. You made your way over to them, happy to be doing so and planning to bring some back for Din. Once you had picked the ones you wanted, you made your way back to him, grinning with a cluster of yellow flowers in your hands.</p><p>"Here, Flower Boy," you said, handing him one. "It's my turn to give you one of these."</p><p>Din took it, the corner of his mouth turning up in levity. "Thank you, <em> cyar’ika. </em>" </p><p>You nodded with a love-struck smile. "Of course." You started walking to sit back down beside him, but then tripped over a particularly large clump of grass that was in your way. This caused you to tumble to the ground, and it just so happened that you fell <em> forward </em> - in other words, right onto Din, who fell back a little too at the sudden contact. </p><p>You looked down at him, eyes widening, as Din laughed awkwardly at the situation. "I'm so sorry," you said immediately. "I don't know how that happened, God…"</p><p>"It's okay," he assured you. Silence fell at his words, and you suddenly became hyper aware of the tension between you in that moment. Din wasn't making any movement to get out of the position you were in; in fact, he reached up to your face and touched it gently, causing the blood to rush to it and for your heartbeat to speed up. "Din, I don't know -" </p><p>"Can I kiss you?"</p><p><em> Oh, Maker. </em>At this point you didn't know what to do other than to nod, close your eyes, and wait. </p><p>Din moved his position so that he was sitting up more, causing you to do the same. When he finally leaned in and gently touched your lips with his own, it was as if every butterfly in your stomach was set flying at the same time. After a few moments, Din moved away, a hand still on your cheek. "Was that...okay? I've never really kissed anyone before, so I'm probably not that great at it...<em> you </em> were great though, it's just -"</p><p>"Are you sure you've never kissed anyone before?" you asked, letting out a shaky laugh. </p><p>Din laughed too. "Yeah, I'm sure."</p><p>"Well, everyone's been missing out then," you joked.</p><p>Din then looked down at the grass below the two of you, avoiding your gaze.</p><p>"Hey, is everything okay?" you asked, furrowing your brow in concern.</p><p>"Of course - it's...more than okay. It's just...well, I'm swearing the Creed next month. And after that happens, we won't really be able to do that again. I don't even think my mentor would approve of us being together at all. I need to focus on my training, and after that's done, things will have to be...<em> different </em>, at the very least." </p><p>The reality of Din's future suddenly hit you like it had never hit you before. Soon, he would be trapped inside a helmet and some beskar armor, and there was nothing you could do about it. You could never expect him to choose you over what he had been working towards for years; that would be selfish. But you couldn't help but wish that that was an option.</p><p>"I understand, Din," you said, just a little sadly. "Like I've said before, I'm proud of you. I will never expect you to choose me over your Creed."</p><p>Din sighed, grabbing your hand that was laying in the grass beside him. "Thank you. That...means a lot. But the summer isn't over yet, right? Why don't we just make the best of it for now?"</p><p>You nodded at once. "Yeah, we can do that. I have a question though."</p><p>"What is it?"</p><p>"How do Mandalorians show affection? You know, with the helmets and all?"</p><p>"Well, there's something called a Keldable kiss. It's when two people, or two Mandalorians, touch foreheads with their helmets on, and can be used to injure opponents...or to show endearment."</p><p>You put your forehead against Din's own, closing your eyes. "Like this?"</p><p>"Yeah," he breathed from directly in front of you. "Like that."</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>From that day on, you and Din were even more inseparable than before. He continued visiting you at work, and you met up in the field more and more. You were happy to be trying this, whatever it was, with him, but sometimes when you remembered that it could only last for so long, you felt a sharp pang in your chest.</p><p>You pretended that you didn't cry yourself to sleep every other night because of his Creed.</p><p>Right now, you were working as usual, but your mind was distracted even more than it normally was. You then looked up to see Louisa walking towards your stall, a smile on her face. </p><p>"Hey, how are you?" she asked, tilting her head.</p><p>You sighed. "I'm fine."</p><p>Louisa raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that, hon? Last time I saw you you were practically floating on cloud nine. Now you seem...sad about something."</p><p>"It's just...well, it's something with Din," you began, noticing how your friend hummed knowingly. "He's swearing his Mandalorian Creed at the end of the month. After that, things will be...a lot different, I guess. If we even see each other anymore at all."</p><p>Louisa sighed, putting a hand comfortingly on your lower back. "That sounds really tough. I hope you guys can figure it out, but whatever happens, I'm here if you ever need someone to talk to." </p><p>You smiled at her sadly, moving in for a hug. "Thanks. You're the best."</p><p>"I do try," the woman joked. </p><p>With a light chuckle, you moved away from her arms, tucking a piece of hair back behind your ear, and continued working at the stall. </p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>You found yourself in the field that evening, but this time you were alone. You picked up some of the flowers growing there and remembered how you had done the same for Din not so long ago, trying to hold on to the happy memory and not focus on how fleeting it would surely prove to be.</p><p>As if your thoughts had summoned him, you started to hear footsteps approaching you from behind. When Din got to where you were sitting, he sat down beside you and looked up at the sky. </p><p>"Hi," he said. </p><p>"Hi," you replied, shaking yourself out of your reminiscing. "How did you find me?"</p><p>"Figured you'd be here. Intuition, I guess."</p><p>Silence fell after he spoke, and after a few moments he did something that rather surprised you. Din moved from his seated position and layed down, but instead of laying vertically beside you his head was in your lap. "Is this alright?" he asked softly. </p><p>"Of course," you breathed, smiling a little as your hands moved up to his hair, almost involuntarily, and began to stroke through the curls there. After a few moments, you couldn't help but say, "You're so beautiful, Din. You have to know that."</p><p>You looked down at his face and saw that his face was blushing slightly, which caused you to grin.</p><p>"Thank you, <em> cyar'ika </em>" he said.</p><p>"Anything for you." </p><p>At that, Din sat up a little to kiss you, making your heart skip a few beats as you wrapped your arms around his neck and threaded your fingers into his hair, loving how soft the tresses were against your fingertips. This kiss was somehow <em> different </em> - more desperate, all of your feelings for each other bleeding into it. This was a kiss from a man starved, and if you weren't before you quickly became addicted to the feeling of his slightly chapped but warm lips against your own. After only the Maker knew how long, you broke away and rested your foreheads together in a Keldable kiss, breathing in the feeling of your closeness. Din then leaned over a little to kiss you gently on the nose, causing you to giggle and blush a little. "You are so sweet," you said, your voice almost a whisper. </p><p>"That must be you, <em> ner kar'ta </em>."</p><p>"<em>Ner kar'ta </em>? What does that mean?" you asked, enjoying the way the Mando'a words sounded coming from Din.</p><p>"It means 'my heart.'"</p><p>Your chest fluttered as you buried your face in your lover's shoulder, feeling the familiar heat you felt around him warm your cheeks yet again. "And you're mine."</p><p>After a few moments of this, the both of you adjusted your positions so that Din's head was in your lap again.</p><p>"Talk to me," you said, moving your fingers through his curls like before and smiling softly.</p><p>Din chuckled. "What do you want me to talk about?"</p><p>"I don't care. Anything. I just want to hear your voice."</p><p>He was silent for a moment. Thinking. "How about I teach you some more Mando'a?"</p><p>You nodded eagerly, your mouth turning up in a smile. "Yeah, that sounds nice."</p><p>"Okay. Are there any words you want to know specifically?"</p><p>You considered his question, thinking about what all of this meant to you. "What's the word for gift?"</p><p>"<em>Dinui </em>."</p><p>You let out a soft laugh at that. "Din<em>ui </em>? As in Din? That can't be a coincidence."</p><p>He laughed too, reaching his arm up from his side to grab your hand. "I've never even noticed that."</p><p>You accepted his hand, a small smile still on your face. "I see." After a minute or two of thinking, you looked down at his face, and asked, "What's the word for beautiful?”</p><p>“That’s <em>mesh’la</em>.”</p><p>As you nodded and began absentmindedly rubbing his thumb in gentle circles, something came to you: Din probably needed to be back with his tribe - they would worry, or get upset, or any number of things. “Din, you should probably get back with the other Mandalorians. I don’t want you getting in trouble…”</p><p>“Don’t worry,” he assured you. “After all the training I’ve been doing over the past few months, I think they’ll let one night of rest slide.”</p><p>You didn’t know how long you stayed there that night, eventually talking into the darkness when you couldn’t see each other anymore. To you, tonight was a night to forget about what would be happening far too soon. A night to forget about anything that wasn’t him. And so you let yourself fall asleep, by now laying on your back instead of sitting up, next to Din on the grass. The last thing you heard before you dozed off was the sound of his voice.</p><p>“Sweet dreams.”</p><p>If only that moment of bliss could have lasted for longer.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>Before you knew it, there was only one week left. One week until Din’s initiation ceremony, and therefore one week until your relationship would be essentially torn apart by a list of rules (and one in particular) that you couldn’t help but resent. The fact that said rules meant a lot to Din combined with the fact they were basically what would hold you back from each other in the future was something weighing on your mind. It was almost hard to believe that, not long ago, you had been happy, kissing Din under the summer stars. That was such a contrast to your current feelings of sorrow and something like anger. When your mind wondered who you should talk to about all of this, it immediately told you that Louisa would be the best person in this situation. She already knew about Din and his Creed, and was always so kind to you.</p><p>You needed comfort from her, and decided there was nothing better to do than see if she was home since it was the weekend and you weren’t working.</p><p>As you walked to her house, your mind became a jumble of worries and sadness, telling you that the world would surely end the day he was taken out of your life. You took a deep breath and tried to block those thoughts out as the silhouette of Lousia’s small cottage came into your line of vision. The sight of it brought some solace to your heavy heart, and you even managed a sort of small smile. When you knocked on the door and your friend opened it, it was as if all your pent up emotions came rushing out of you at once. You couldn’t help but run into her arms, stifling a sort of relieved but sad cry.</p><p>“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” she asked, a bit surprised but accepting your hug nonetheless. “Shh, shh, you’ll be alright…”</p><p>“I…” you began, sobbing a little. “I just....I just need to talk to you.”</p><p>“Sure, hon,” Louisa comforted, ushering you in through her door. “I’ll put some tea on if you’d like.”</p><p>You nodded, breathing in shakily. “That sounds good.”</p><p>You sat down on a chair in her living space, trying to calm your breathing as she came in with two cups of hot tea and handed you one. </p><p>“Now, you just let me know what’s going on in that head of yours,” she said, sitting down beside you.</p><p>You let out a sort of ironic laugh that ended up sounding more like a sob than anything. “To give you a fair warning, there’s a lot,” you said.</p><p>“Well, it’s a good thing I’ve got a lot of time then,” Louisa replied simply, bringing her tea to her lips.</p><p>You couldn’t argue with that, so you began to talk. You talked about everything you could think of: how you were worried that the Creed would tear you and Din apart, how you hated that it was more important than you or the memories you had shared, how you just wanted more <em> time </em>, and how you didn’t know if you would ever be able to love again, because nothing could compare to what you had with him - how even though it had only been a few weeks, they had been some of the best of your life.</p><p>After you let that all out, Louisa looked at you in silence for a moment before speaking. “Oh, sweetie, I am so sorry. I wish there was more I could do,” she said, her brows furrowed as she processed all the information you had told her. “I mean, I knew you weren’t doing too great last time I saw you, but I had no idea it was this bad.”</p><p>You shrugged. “I don’t know if <em> I </em> even did.” You then let out a long sigh, letting your shoulders relax for the first time in a while. “But I feel a lot better now, actually. I’m glad I had you to talk to.”</p><p>Lousia smiled. “Any time. Any time at all. And you know what?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“You’ll be alright. I promise. Look, after next week, you’ll be sad for a while of course, but eventually? You’re gonna break away from your parents’ boring life plan for you and get a teaching license! You’re gonna teach so many young foundlings so many important things, and do great things with your life. You hear me?”</p><p>You felt your confidence growing slightly at your words. “Thanks, Lousia. You’re really a treasure.”</p><p>“Just doing my job,” she replied, the twinkle you knew all too well lighting up her eyes. “Now, do you want to stay here for a while, or do you want to walk back to your place? It’s up to you.”</p><p>You stood up, placed your half-drank cup of tea on the table beside where you had been sitting, and smiled at your friend. “I think I’m gonna walk home, actually. I’ll see you soon, whenever you stop by the market.”</p><p>“Will do!” Lousia replied.</p><p>With that, you walked out her door, waving as you left, and started on your way home. You felt somewhat better about everything now. Granted, the pain wasn’t gone by any means, but being reminded that you had a bright future outside of Din had really lifted your spirits.</p><p>But you would have to say goodbye soon, and the foreboding that made you feel didn’t leave. Not by a long shot.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>It was now six days later, and only one day left until the initiation ceremony. You had made plans to meet Din in the field near the bar where you had your first date, a pastime that had admittedly become more frequent than you expected when you originally discovered it. Your heart was pounding as you approached the end of something that was undoubtedly special. You felt a pang in your chest when you saw Din already there, sitting alone in the grass. There was a light summer breeze ruffling his hair, and it suddenly occurred to you that if you were an artist, you would want to draw this scene over and over again.</p><p>“Hey,” you said, coming over and joining him on the ground.</p><p>He looked over at the sound of your voice. “Hey.”</p><p>“How are you feeling?” you asked, making the decision to take the hand laying beside yours into your own. </p><p>“Nervous. And...kind of sad. But also sort of excited; I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long.” He sighed, a downheartedness in his brown eyes that you weren’t used to seeing. “The thing is, I never thought I’d have you to let go of.”</p><p>Your heart clenched at that. “That’s understandable.”</p><p>“I need to tell you something,” he said suddenly.</p><p>“Anything.”</p><p>“I...I want you to know that...it’s not that I don’t care about you. It’s not that at all. It’s just that I have to do this. This is something I’ve been working for since I was a kid, and before I met you, it was basically all that mattered to me. It was too late to back down by the time we met anyway. I guess what I’m trying to say is...I hope you can forgive me.”</p><p>You listened to him talk, his habit of rambling apparently not leaving any time soon. But then you remembered that it might have to once he was on his own, only his Creed to guide him, and your heart clenched yet again.</p><p>“Of course I forgive you, Din. You don’t even have to worry about that. I don’t blame you.”</p><p>He sighed from next to you in relief, holding your interwoven hands tighter together. “That’s good.”</p><p>For a few moments, you simply sat in silence, looking out at the blooming flowers in front of you with sadness in both your eyes. </p><p>“There’s one more word in Mando’a that I’d like to teach you,” Din said before much time had passed.</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>“<em>Ret'urcye mi. </em> It means...goodbye.” He took a deep breath, preparing himself to say more. “A more literal translation would be ‘maybe we’ll meet again.’”</p><p>You held back a sob, moving to pull him into a hug. You felt his hands stoke through your hair comfortingly, trying his best to console you. It felt like the most natural thing in the world when his lips landed on yours, kissing you hard but with a gentle passion that made your heart ache. You reciprocated easily, trying to memorize the feeling. You noticed that Din was touching you more than usual as you shared the kiss, his hands on your back, shoulders, face, wherever he could reach. It occurred to you that this wasn’t for the reason many would think. It was because he was trying to soak in as much touch as he could before the ceremony, before his life would change forever and that affection would be basically non-existent. This revelation caused your heart and chest to tighten as you continued to kiss him. When you were both breathless, he pulled away and rested his forehead against yours softy. You looked at him, trying so hard to create a picture of him in your mind that you would never forget - studying how his nose curved, any slight freckles or blemishes on his face, and, perhaps most of all, the deep brown color of his eyes.</p><p><em> Ret’urchye mi. </em>Maybe you’d meet again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for reading! This is my first work in this fandom, so I really hope you enjoyed it. Kudos &amp; comments are always greatly appreciated as well :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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